Restoring and improving habitats

Activities aimed at the restoration of habitats and addressing threats to the Croatian population of the Balkan Terrapin are in full swing. One of the expected outcomes of work package 2 is a tunnel adapted to serve as a functional ecological corridor beneath the road separating two ponds in the first Croatian herpetological reserve, "Lokve u Majkovima," located in a Natura 2000 protected area.

Construction of the tunnel was completed in March 2024, coinciding with the onset of warmer weather and increased turtle activity. In the coming months, we will monitor how the animals use the tunnel to cross the road between the two ponds.

Other activities within this work package are also progressing:

• the first version of the Guidelines for Restoring and Managing Mediterranean Ponds and Canals has been published. We continue to gather experiences and knowledge to incorporate into the final version,
• collaboration with landowners has defined priority locations and activities for future wetland management,
• we have begun cleaning the canals to improve habitat connectivity,
• the effectiveness of covering aquatic vegetation with black foils is being tested as a method for controlling succession,
• we have identified the most suitable type of sunbathing platform to be installed at the ponds—logs anchored to the bottom of the water bodies.

We continue to actively carry out our activities with the help of the local community and volunteers, ensuring that these practices become sustainable and well-established, continuing long after the project ends.